Rover Can Be A Safe Part of Our Communities

Our organization’s core mission is to promote, protect and sustain Michigan’s vibrant forest industry along with the interest of property owners. As such, we have a dual interest in seeing our state’s economy grow in a responsible, sustaining manner. It is our belief that it is vitally important for our state, our region and our country, that we utilize all our natural resources.

The Marcellus Shale gas boom has provided our region with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become truly energy-independent. Natural gas is a plentiful resource that our region needs and Michigan should be at the forefront of that development. Projects like the Rover Pipeline project can help us do just that.

Without pipelines, most places in the United States would not have access to low-cost natural gas and would be overly dependent on foreign sources of less reliable, less available, and much more expensive sources of energy. They allow us to generate electricity, heat our homes and power our factories.

A lot has been said about the economic benefits of the Rover project. The numbers are really staggering. A $4.3 billion investment. More than 10,000 jobs created. Nearly $1 billion in direct manufacturing spending. As much as $32 million in state property and sales tax revenue.

But more than that, the MFPC has been impressed with Energy Transfer Partners and the Rover team’s commitment to protecting and respecting the environment in which they are operating. Rover is committed to using the latest technologies during the construction and operation of this pipeline to ensure its safety. They will be using X-ray technologies to inspect every weld and seam in the pipeline. They will be testing this pipeline well above the operating pressures using water to ensure that there are no problems before its operation.

They have a full-time staff to monitor the operation of the pipeline and will be using automated systems to manage the pipeline during its operation. The pipeline will be buried at least three feet underground, if not more depending on the type and usages of the land they’re crossing.

Approving new pipeline infrastructure is important. So is safeguarding the interests of agriculture and forestry. With the Rover Pipeline Project, we’ve seen these interests work together to develop sustainable construction and operations plans, with public safety in mind.

Rover will certainly benefit all of the consumers of Michigan, and it deserves our support.